DENVER — Joel Kiviranta made a significant impact by scoring three goals for the Colorado Avalanche, including two into an empty net, leading to a 5-2 victory over the Seattle Kraken on Sunday evening.
The Avalanche’s offense was further bolstered by contributions from Valeri Nichushkin and Cale Makar, each finding the back of the net as well. Nathan MacKinnon continued his impressive form, marking his third consecutive game with two assists, while both Mikko Rantanen and Makar also recorded two assists each. This victory marked Colorado’s third straight win and completed their season series sweep against the Kraken, with Kiviranta achieving his first career regular-season hat trick through two late-game empty-netters.
Mackenzie Blackwood was solid in goal, making 17 saves and improving his record to 3-1 since the Avalanche acquired him in a trade that sent Alexandar Georgiev to the San Jose Sharks.
The Kraken struggled to find their rhythm in the first period, following a significant 6-2 defeat against the Vegas Golden Knights a day earlier. However, the team rallied in the second period, briefly taking the lead. Nevertheless, goals from Nichushkin and Kiviranta shifted the momentum back in favor of Colorado.
Jared McCann and Kaapo Kakko both scored for Seattle, who have now lost five consecutive games. Goaltender Joey Daccord faced 29 shots, successfully saving 24 of them during the contest.
A notable highlight from the game was Kakko scoring his first goal with the Kraken; he joined the team on December 18 following a trade with the New York Rangers. On the Avalanche’s side, they successfully killed off the only penalty committed during the game, bringing their streak to 14 consecutive successful penalty kills.
An important moment occurred when Nichushkin found the net just 11 seconds after Kakko’s goal, which had given Seattle a fleeting 2-1 lead in the second period. This rapid exchange of goals is among the quickest instances logged by NHL Stats this season.
In terms of key statistics, the trio of Makar, Rantanen, and MacKinnon has now combined for a goal for the tenth time this season, leading all trios in the league.
Looking ahead, the Colorado Avalanche will be facing off against Utah following the holiday break, while the Seattle Kraken are set to take on the Vancouver Canucks next Saturday.